Help From the Liberals??

C Michael Patton has written a very interesting article on why he is grateful for liberal scholarship. The subject of liberal scholarship is very touchy. As soon as you make an admission like Patton has, some folks through up either flags or fists. I've been warned in my undergrad classes to steer clear from the liberals. That was fine. In those days neither I nor any of my classmates were ready to wade through liberal thought. However, these cautions continued into my seminary years. Various teachers warned that there is never a need to converse with the liberals. Their approach to the Scriptures is contrary to ours and their definitions are rarely the same. Some even questioned why evangelical scholars would address liberals when writing textbooks. On, and on...

Well, I do agree that liberal scholarship is something to be gravely concerned about when reading books. However, I think that I understand Patton's point. I think that I agree with him. I'd be glad to hear your responses to this. What do you think? Are conservatives handling the texts of Scripture with adequate integrity? Do conservatives tend to read their presuppositions into their exegesis?

Why I am Grateful to Liberal Scholars

~ C Michael Patton ~

"I remember one professor at Dallas Seminary telling me that Evangelicals had learned more from liberal scholars about biblical interpretation over the past century than they had from the most conservative scholars. I also remember Charles Ryrie’s famous (infamous?) assertion, “There is nothing more sought after by an evangelical professor than to be called a scholar by a liberal.”

Help From the Liberals??